The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for receiving, supporting and transporting stacks of electrode plates for use in the manufacture of automobiles. The device is particularly suited for blocking and centering battery plate stacks preliminary to further processing of the stack before it is inserted into a battery casing.
The process of manufacturing storage batteries requires the assembly of a stack of side-by-side plates, with alternating plates in the stack being enveloped in a case of suitable porous material The enveloped and nonenveloped plates heretofore have been manually collated, stacked, blocked and centered prior to connecting the plates in the stack together and installing the stack into the battery casing. This process is not only slow it is labor-intensive, and, therefore, adds to the cost of the battery.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for more efficient handling of stacks of storage battery plates and for more economically blocking and centering such stacks preliminary to assembly.